Newspaper stand



Jan. 29, 1957' E. H. CARSON NEWSPAPER STAND Filed Sept. 12, 1955 z 4 (2 a R H m WM A A 4% a p WHEY flw.

United States Patent NEWSPAPER STAND Elmer H. Carson, Pacoima, Calif. Application September 12, 1955, Serial No. 533,727

2 Claims. (Cl. 20-'1.7)

This invention relates to a stand for self-service vending of newspapers and the like, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a structure for indoor and outdoor use, selectively, and which may be approached from any direction by prospective purchasers of goods carried thereby.

Another object of the invention is to provide a multisided stand from which newspapers and the like may be self-vended from each of its sides.

A further object of the invention is to provide a newspaper vending stand that embodies means protecting the newspapers against the weather, such as rain and snow.

The invention also has for its objects to provide such means that are positive in operation, convenient in use, easily installed in a working position and easily disconnected therefrom, economical of manufacture, relatively simple, and of general superiority and serviceability.

The invention also comprises novel details of construction and novel combinations and arrangements of parts, which will more fully appear in the course of the following description. However, the drawing merely shows and the following description merely describes, preferred embodiments of the present invention, which are given by way of illustration or example only.

In the drawing, like reference characters designate similar parts in the several views.

Fig. 1 is an elevational view of one of the sides of a newspaper stand according to the present invention, a portion thereof being shown in vertical section.

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken on the plane of line 2--2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an elevational view, to a smaller scale, of a modification of the invention.

Fig. 4 is a top plan view thereof.

Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view as taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view of a modification.

The stand of the present invention comprises, generally, a base 11}, a newspaper-holding means 11 disposed on the base 10, a roof structure 12 over the means 11, and protection means 13 removably disposed in position to protect the newspapers against rain, snow, sleet, wind, etc.

The base 1% is shown as cylindrical and this shape is preferred. However, hexagonal, octagonal or other polygonal shapes may be used. The outer wall 14 of said base may serve to carry painted or card-applied advertising and, as shown at 15, the same may be provided with recesses or pockets that serve to store newspapers that cannot be accommodated by the means 11. It will be noted that the pockets 15 are arranged in tiers of two each to enable ready accommodation, in flat horizontal position, of such extra newspapers. Also, the base may store other items as in pockets, such as shown at 16. The base is preferably interiorly hollow and is provided with a transverse base frame structure 1011.

The means 11 includes the top plate or wall 17 of base 10, the same being preferably perforated for ready drain- Patented Jan. 29, 1957 ice ing of moisture. The plate 17 is preferably level and constitutes the newspaper-supporting element of the means 11. The top plate 17 may be formed to have a downward and outward pitch or slope, as shown in Fig. 6, and, instead of the perforations of Fig. 5, said plate may be formed to have corrugations 17a for the purpose of draining oif moisture.

in the form of Fig. 1, the means 11 further includes a preferably polygonal column 18 that is centered on plate 17 and extends upwardly therefrom, the open sides 19 of said column constituting walls that support newspapers disposed on plate 17 in the manner illustrated at the left side of said Fig. 1. While the column is shown with four sides 19, the same may have two, three, five or more, as desired.

Each side 19 has associated therewith a paper holder 20 that may be either weighted or spring-biased in a direction to press upon the stack or sheaf of papers 21 to hold the same in place and yet enabling ready extraction of one or more of the papers. The holder 20 here shown may be piv'otally carried at 22 from the base 10.

A coin receptacle 23 may be associated with each sheaf of papers 21, one such receptacle being preferably placed on base 10 immediately in front of each sheaf, substantially in the manner shown in Fig. 1.

While not shown in the modification, the holders 2! and receptacles 23 may be provided in the same or in a similar manner to that above described.

The roof 12 is also shown as cylindrical and is preferably larger, diametrally, than base 10. The cylindrical face 24 of the roof may also serve to carry advertising and may bear indicia identifying the newspapers in means 11.

The structure is preferably revoluble. To this end, the plate 17 is provided with a central, downwardly projecting pin 35 that extends into the hollow of a post or standard 36, the latter being supported or carried by a base plate 37. The mentioned base frame structure 10a centers on said post and, together with pin 35, centers the base 10 on the post. Thus, the customer may readily rotate the standto bring a selected sheaf of papers 21 in position for ready extraction of a paper.

In the form of Fig. 3, the column 18 may be substantially taller than is required for one sheaf 21 to the side, and may be made to accommodate two sheaves, one above the other. To this end, a shelf 25 is carried by the column about midway of its height, the same constituting a newspaper support similar to plate 17. This shelf may also be provided with paper holders 20.

It will be clear that a person approaching any side of the stand may turn the stand as desired and serve himself by extracting a newspaper from one of the sheaves 21 and paying for the same by depositing a coin or coins in receptacle 23 associated with the particular sheaf from which the paper was taken.

In Figs. 1 and 2, the protection means 13 is shown as carried by and retractible into the roof 24. Said means preferably comprises a set of four transparent shields 26 that are housed in horizontal slots 27 in the roof and are adapted to be outwardly projected to be disposed in frontal relationship to the sheaves of papers 21 in the means 11.

In this instance, the shields 26 are each hingedly connected at 28 to a transverse member 29 and the latter is provided with end trunnions 30 that are slidingly engaged in guideways 31 in the opposite sides of the slots 27. By arranging the slots 27 in two transverse pairs, one above the other, as shown, the shields housed therein may have suflicient length to span between the roof and the upper end of the base, when the same are projected, as shown at the right of Fig. 1. Access to a sheaf of papers is readily had by lifting the shield thereinfront.

The means 13 above described may be varied. For instance, Figs. 3 to 5 show a set of flexible and overlapped transparent curtains 32 that may be separably connected to the periphery of the roof 24, as by fasteners 33, and hang pendent in a manner to completely enclose the means 11 and the papers thereon; full visibility is had by reason of the transparency of the curtains. It is a simple matter to reach between two curtains to remove a newspaper. Said curtains, when not in use, may be stored, as in pocket 16. It will be understood that the curtains 32, instead of being hung from the outer face of roof 24, may be afiixed to an inner side to obviate water seepage between the curtains and the roof.

While the foregoing has illustrated and described what are contemplated to be the best modes of carrying out the invention, the constructions are, of course, subject to modification without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. It is, therefore, not desired to restrict the invention to the particular forms of construction illustrated and described, but to cover all modifications that may fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A self service newspaper vending stand, comprising a base, a smaller open sided polygonal column extending upwardly from the middle of the top of the base, and a roof mounted on the top of the polygonal column larger in area than the top of the base and column, the top of said base and the sides of the column constituting a support and a prop for sheaves of newspapers disposed on the top of the base, with means mounted on the top of the base for holding the newspapers compressed against the sides of the column.

2. The structure according to claim 1, wherein the mentioned top of the base is mounted upon a post to permit the base, the column and roof mounted thereon to rotate as a unit.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS D. 168,464 Levinger Dec. 23, 1952 161,669 Crandall Apr. 6, 1875 166,043 Volkland July 27, 1875 347,278 Ruth Aug. 10, 1886 571,717 Ballard Nov. 17, 1896 1,061,357 Croce May 13, 1913 1,604,449 Koster Oct. 26, 1926 1,782,257 Durnler Nov. 18, 1930 1,918,056 Platt July 11, 1933 2,063,393 McIver Dec. 8, 1936 2,238,004 Wolters Apr. 8, 1941 

